Rating: 
Summary: The Godfather of All Books
Review: The Godfather by Mario Puzo is about an Italian Mafia family, the Corleones, who live in New York, and it gives an inside look at how the Mafia runs. The many characters include Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather, and his three sons, Santino, Fredo, and Michael. The first main event happens when a man by the name of Virgil Sollozzo enters Don's office and asks if Don would help him import drugs into the United States. Don rejects saying that even though the profits from drugs are high, so are the risks. A couple days later, when Don is getting into his car, he is shot by two men. Even though he is severely wounded he is not killed and Santino is forced to take over the business. I won't give away the rest of the book, but I will tell you it kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nonstop action in the novels they read. I found Mario Puzo's writing style to be very good with lots of unexpected twists and turns. This helped make the book very exciting. I also recommend it to anyone interested in the Mafia. This book provides an inside look about how the Mafia is run. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much.
Rating:
Summary: A Read You Can't Refuse!!!
Review: Not many works of fiction can claim to have significantly changed the face of American culture; Mario Puzo's classic novel The Godfather is surely one of those. Look at the evidence: This book (and the wonderful cinematic counterpart) reintroduced the gangster as an American icon. It helped to spawn entire new genres in fiction and films. (Some critics suggest there should be an entirely new designation for this genre and have dubbed it "The Eastern".) Of course, it introduced that classic catchphrase "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Finally, it introduced one of the great heroic criminals into literature in the person of Don Vito Corleone (a character reportedly based on Puzo's own mother). Yes, it is true that the movie and not the novel must take much of this credit, but this work is hardly the two-star pulp trash that a few misguided critics have made it to be. It's solid all the way through, particularly the fabulous portrayals of the ruthless gentleman Don Vito and his family, epecially the sons: hotheaded Sonny (whose penchant for needless violence proves fatal), cowardly Freddie (who is spooked by the Don's near-assasination and runs away to Las Vegas), and, most memorably, cool, reserved Michael (who, in the end, proves a tactical genius truly worthy to be called his father's son.) Also, don't forget the fabulous cast of supporting characters: singers Johnny Fontaine and Nino Valenti (read: Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin), and the many minor players such as Luca Brasi and Amerigo Bonserai, who literally owe their very existence to the Don's generosity. And the women!!! Such marvels of strength, tenacity and character presented in blindly obidient Connie, questioning Kay, and the Don's own wife, who knows much more than she reveals. Her tutoring of Kay into the Sicilian way of life ends the book on a high note. Puzo makes these character studies work because he gives each person his own little spotlight; by chapter's end, you know why each one has chosen to become a family member or confidant. The chapters showing the Don's rise to power, subsequent fall, and rebirth are the highpoints of the book, as the newer, more ruthless families seek to destroy the Corleone's sacred honor by forcing them into trafficking drugs. Yes, in the end, it is Michael who prevails, but the action is so good that the climax is not spoiled by knowing the outcome in advance. The reader will want to visit this novel time and again for it's unique perspectives on honor, justice, and The American Dream.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Read
Review: Mario Puzo is truly a gifted writer. In the Godfather, he was able to mix an outstanding story line into characters that were extremely lifelike. As you read farther and farther into the book, I could feel the intensity rise as the Corleone saga continued. The Godfather is one of the few books that I couldn't put down. I wanted to turn to the next page before I was finished with the one I was on.
The Godfather was the first of its kind. Others have tried to imitate such a novel, but no one can match to Mario Puzo's writing skills. Mario Puzo is an outstanding writer and I think that he has given a gift to the world through the Godfather novel.
Mario Puzo's characters were as real as they come. The realationships between the Don and his family gave you a number of feelings. There were those that he didn't trust, and those that he would give his life for. The Godfather's characters brought you into the story and gave more meaning to it. I would recomend anyone to read this book, as it truly is amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: Blueprint for a couple of great movies
Review: "The Godfather" is one of the VERY rare examples of a movie (and sequel) that are actually better than the book they are based on. Upon first release, the book was a massive bestseller, more because it is an easy read than because it is great literature. What it is primarily useful for now is as a means of filling in details that the first two Godfather films didn't have time to cover even with their considerable length. Such detail includes the background story of Johnny Fontaine, the Frank Sinatra-esque entertainer who is a loyal Godson. Also fleshed out are the characters of the loyal hitman Luca Brazzi and of Sonny's mistress, who would become the mother of Michael's eventual successor as Don in "Godfather Part 3." There is also more information about Moe Green and the feud over the Corleone move to Nevada.Puzo is an effective storyteller and he keeps things moving along at a snappy pace. The Don of the book doesn't seem larger than life the way Marlon Brando does in the movie. "The Godfather" is often described as a "trash" novel, but reading would be a lot more fun if all such novels were as good as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet!
Review: This book is so sweet, it gave me a tooth ache. Killing, Sex, an excellent plot. Hard to do. There are so many characters, and you come to know many of them. Great book!
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Summary: WOW am is surprised
Review: I've never seen the godfather films just know roughly what it was so I was greatly impressed with the complexity of this book and the feeling that Puzo puts into his characters. My biggest problem with this book is that I feel that it wasn't a closed chapter and it left me wanting more. I know that the family could technically carry on forever but the ending that he gave it is a little too fairytail for me. but overall a hugely entertaining read and a new favorite of mine.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: Seeing how I not seen the movie I decide to read the book. What a awesome book. For those of you who have seen the movie read the book. I just finish watching the movie and it was good, but the book in itself is awesome. The movie didnt give you that feel, that you knew what the Sonny and the Don were thinking. That is what made the book wonderful. I must say read this. you will not be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Read
Review: I saw the movies before I read the book and this made me even more anxious to read it and see what was different and if any of Part II was included in the book. I'm not really big on reading so it takes a lot to keep me interested. And Puzo did just that. I read this book in about 4 days. You would think that it would be hard for me to read since I already knew what was gonna happen. But that just shows what a great job Puzo did in writing this book. If you like to read or just like things involving the Mafia or organized crime then this is a must have for you. Great book, best one I have ever read! This makes me want to read every other Mario Puzo book and thats what Im gonna do!
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: What can I say about The Godfather that hasn't already been said? Absolutely outstanding! This book is amazing in every way, a real page-turner. I give it a perfect score, *****!
Rating:
Summary: A 4.5 star classic
Review: Noone hasn't heard of The Godfather. Almost everyone has seen it. The movies (I and II) have been acclaimed as some of the greatest films of all time. The Godfather in novel form more than lives up to the expectations that in most adaptations the book is better than the movie. The story follows the rise of Michael Corleone as the Don of his mafia family. Michael is an unlikely Don who starts off as a college-graduate and war-hero who is ashamed of his family's illegal ties. But then circumstances changed... The book has one better on what the movie has been accused of - gratuitous length. Godfather I and II are both very long and the attention to detail detracts from the attention spans of the more impatient viewers. But a novel is expected to be long and detailed - in fact it's not too long by literary standards. The book covers Godfather I and parts from II which talk about Vito Corleone's beginnings as an Italian immigrant. It also has many plotlines that aren't in the movies. The greatness of the book is that it creates a whole world of emotion - with the loyalty, betrayals and murders. The book ties in subtle parts of the plot together making you see things that watching the movie aren't at all obvious (like the intentions of certain characters and the motivations for their behaviour). If you liked the Godfather movies at all or are interested in the workings of an Italian crime family at it's grandest, this book is gold.
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